Cup with destruction inducing means



' Dec. 28, 1965 G. POOLE ETAL 25 CUP WITH DESTRUCTION INDUCING MEANS Filed Aug. 5, 1964 4!....m.. I 'IIIIIII-IIIIIIIIII INVENTORS J- ROBERT HOFF GEAN POOLE ATTORNEY 3,226,000 CUP WITH DESTRUCTION INDUCING MEANS Gean Poole and J. Robert Hoff, (Pmaha, Nehru, assiguors to Ballantyne Instruments and Electronics lino, Omaha, Nehru, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 386,998 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-15) This invention relates to paper receptacles and more particularly to paper cups and paper boxes, in which an inducement is offered to the user thereof to destroy the same so that it cannot be reused for the same purpose for which it was originally used. Such paper receptacles are used in very large quantities at or about places of amusement, the cups for dispensing beverages of various kinds, and the boxes for dispensing solid foods and confections such as cracker-jack, popcorn and other bulk edibles.

Where food or drink is dispensed from bulk into indi vidual containers of this kind at concessions and stores, it is diificult for the concessionaire or store owner to determine exactly what quantities have been sold, particularly when he is absent from the premises. It has been the practice to issue to sales clerks predetermined amounts of containers, and requiring such personnel, at the end of the sales period, to account for each container used by producing the price for the item, or returning an unused container. However, dishonest clerks have been known to re-use containers left on counters or tables by earlier customers, and to pocket the price of the item sold in the used container. This practice makes it difficult for the owner or manager of an establishment to maintain inventory and control of receipts. The practice of re-issuing used containers, particularly cups, is unsanitary and constitutes a definite menace and hazard to health, and could result in serious liability to the store owner. Various means have been resorted to in an effort to thwart the dishonest sales people who follow such practices, and the prior art broadly discloses the concept of destroying a container to prevent its re-issuance and re-use. The U.S. Patents to Freeman, No. 594,242, and Heymann, No. 2,026,171, are examples of such concept.

The present invention applies this concept to paper receptacles in a simple and novel manner, which will not require sushtantial, if any, modifications of existing methods and machines for making such containers.

The invention is more fully disclosed in the following description and accompanying drawings wherein exemplary embodiments are described and illustrated in enlarged form.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a cup with parts shown in section.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the parts shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail section of a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a further modification applicable to FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 6 shows in perspective one form of the invention as applied to a box assembled from a folded blank.

FIGURE 6a is a modification of the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 6.

FIGURES 7 and 8 show perspectives of modified forms of the invention as applied to such boxes.

The invention generally relates to means for inducing the purchaser of a cup of beverage, or a box of popcorn or the like, at a place of public accommodation, to destroy the container after it has served his purpose, rather than to place the empty container back on the Un1ted States Patent 0 "ice counter, or table, or throw it down to the floor or ground where it might be picked up and reused.

According to the invention, the bottom of the container is provided with a projecting tab which may be gripped by the holder and pulled, either to completely remove the bottom of the container or to so completely rupture and tear it as to destroy its structural unity to the point where it cannot be reused for its original purpose.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the invention is embodied in a paper cup 1 which is usually waxed or otherwise treated to make it impervious to liquids, either hot or cold.

The cup is provided with a double thickness bottom comprising an upper skirted disc 2 and a lower disc 3, usually of the same material of the cup or similar thereto. The diameter of the bottom is such that the edge 2d of the disc 2 fits closely against the wall 1 of the cup when it is inserted thereinto. downwardly extending skirt 2a, the skirt being slitted as at 11b (FIGURE 2). At one point in its circumference the skirt has a downwardly extending tab 2a. The lower disc 3 of the said bottom is adhesively secured to the lower surface of the upper disc 2 and one or the other of these discs, on one of their meeting surfaces, has a token indicia receiving space 13, to which by printing or other means, some reward indicating indicia may be provided. Alternatively, a token might be inserted between the two faces.

The bottom edge la of he cup is bent around the downwardly extending edge 2e of the skirt 2a and it is then folded upwardly and crimped against the exposed face of said skirt, holding the bottom securely within the wall of the cup. A portion of the tab 2a is folded upwardly and crimped against the skirt during this process and then passes over the crimped edge 1a of the cup and extends outwardly of the cup leaving a projection 20 where it may be gripped for pulling. To induce the user of the cup to perform this function, to tear the bottom out of the cup, the cup will have a legend attractively and prominently displayed on the outer wall thereof to the effect that if he finds certain indicia or a token between the walls of the bottom when he pulls it apart, and exhibits same at the stand where he made his purchase, he will receive a reward. This reward may be in the form of a free duplicate of his original order, or any other reward which the management wishes to bestow.

When the cups are nested or stacked for storing or shipping, the tab will fold up within the recess 1b of the cup bottom.

While the walls 2, 3 of the bottom may be cemented together, it is not necessary to do so in this modification, since they will be held together by the crimped flange 1a.

The relationship of the parts is shown more fully in the exploded view of FIGURE 2.

Thus, it will be apparent that after the contents of the cup have been emptied, the customer will be induced to grip the tab 20 and pull or tear the bottom out of the cup and split it, with the hope of finding the token or indicia between the layers of the bottom which will entitle him to a reward. Of course, not every cup will be so provided with the reward-winning indicia, but there will be a quantity sufiicient to stimulate interest and encourage the customer to carry out the intended destruction of the container. A pull on the tab 20 will break or tear the crimped portion 1a of the cups lower edge and will pull the double bottom 2, 3 out of the confines of the wall of the cup. By separating the layers of the bottom, the holder will determine whether or not the reward indicating indicia is present. The cup entity is thereby destroyed and it cannot be reused as such.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 3, the

The upper disc 2 has a v .form a finger gripping tab 34a.

bottom is formed of two thicknesses 14, 15 of material partially adhesively secured together over a portion of their surfaces with the reward indicating indicia v13 between them, but in this modification the upper thickness or disc 14 does not have the downwardly extending skirt, as in FIGURE 1. Furthermore, in this modification, the tab 15b is formed as a part of the lower thickness 15 of the bottom, extending from the skirt 15a. The crimped portion 1% of the cup therefore takes effect only against itself, and provides an internal annular shoulder 10c inside the wall of the cup on which the bottom member 14 rests. The skirt portion a of the lower bottom member is frictionally or otherwise supported against the crimped wall portion 10a. A pull on the tab will pull or tear the bottom out of the cup whereupon the two thicknesses or layers thereof may be separated to determine whether the award winning indicia is present.

Another modification is shown in FIGURE 4 wherein the cup 16 is formed with an external, circumferential head 17, adjacent its bottom edge forming an internal annular recess 18. The bottom of the cup is formed of two thicknesses of material 19, 20, as in FIGURE 3, with the tab 19a formed as part of the skirt extending from the lower thickness 20. The bottom is made of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the interior of the cup at the point 21 which is just above the recess 18, and the bottom is pressed or sprung into the recess, with the perimeter thereof tightly engaging the wall of said recess in a water-tight fit. After the contents have been emptied from the cup, the bottom may be pulled out by a tug on the tab 19a, after which the layers forming said bottom may be separated in a search for the reward indicating indicia 13.

In FIGURE 5, another kind of bottom is shown for use in the cup of FIGURE 4. The disc bottom 22 is only of one thickness of material but has a strip 23 extending diametrically across it, covering the indicia 13. The strip extends over the edge of the bottom 22 and said bottom may be notched slightly as at 22a to receive the strip as it passes over the edge and extends downwardly to form a gripping tab 23a. This bottom may be insered into a cup in the manner disclosed with respect to FIG- URE 4 and when the contents are emptied the tab may be pulled to tear or remove the bottom from the cup. The strip may then be separated from the disc 22 to determine the presence or absence of the reward indicating indicia 13. The strip may be lightly cemented to the disc 22 (so that it can be easily separated therefrom) along its entire length, or only at the end opposite the tab, as desired. The strip may be of the same material as the cup, or of some similar material suitable for the purpose. The strip might be of some strong, thin material which would bend over the edge of the disc 22 without making any appreciable bulge which might affect the water-tight seal of the bottom against the wall of the recess 18 in the cup, in which event the notch 22a in the cup will be unnecessary.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, the invention is shown as applied to a folded blank box of the type generally used for dispensing popcorn, cracker-jack or the like bulk foods or confections. The box has the usual sides 30, 31 and ends 32, 33, the sides having corresponding bottom fiaps 30a, 31a. The ends have corresponding bottom flaps 32a, 33a. The bottom flap 31a is the outside flap which, when the box is assembled, will be cemented to the outer surface of the flap 30a, this latter flap being folded so as to lie against the end flaps 32a, 33a. A strip 34 of suitable material is cemented to the inner surface of the side flap 31a substantially along its center line, covering the reward indicating indicia 13 if it is present, and the strip projects beyond the free edge 31b of the flap so as to When the flap 31a is cemented to the outer surface of the flap 3011, the tatb 31b will project from the side of the box where it may be gripped to pull or tear the flap 31a away from the flap 3012, thereby breaking the seal of the bottom of the box and destroying its usefulness as such.

A variation of the strip which may be used on the box of FIGURE 6 is shown in FIGURE 6a. Here the strip 35 is folded upon itself as shown, and the indicia, if present, will be found between the folds of the strip. This double folded strip is made sufficiently long so that when applied to the box in the position of the strip 34 of FIGURE 6, it will have tabs 35a projecting over the edge of the flap, in the manner of FIGURE 6. The folds of the strip may or may not be cemented to each other, but the lower portion 35b of the fold will be cemented to the inner surface of the flap, as in FIGURE 6.

In FIGURE 7, a further modification is shown. In this form of the invention the side wall of the box and the adjacent bottom flap 41 are scored along the line 42 to outline a ripping strip 43 which extends over a portion of the side wall 40 and extends across the full width of the flap 41. When the bottom of the box is closed, the flap 41 becomes the inner flap, covered by the outer flap 44, which may carry the reward indicating indicia 13 in a position where it will be between the side edges of the strip 43 when the box is closed. When the contents of the box are consumed and the box is empty, a legend on the side of the box, as in the case of FIG- URE 1 will instruct the holder thereof to insert a fingernail under the end 45 of the scored tab, to lift it up and to pull, tearing the tab and strip 43 out of the side 40 and flap 41 and pulling the flap 44 out of contact with the said flap 41, thereby destroying the bottom of the box, preventing its reuse as such.

FIGURE 8 shows another box modification. Here the box has side bottom flaps 51, 52, the latter of which overlaps the former when the box is closed and sealed. The outer flap 52 has a pair of score lines 53 defining a ripping strip 54 which terminates in a finger gripping tab 55, the tab projecting outwardly of the edge 52a of the flap 52. In this modification, the reward indicating indicia 13 would be applied to the center of the flap 51, in a position where it would be covered by the strip 54 when the bottom of the box is closed. After use of the box, the legend thereon would instruct the consumer to pull the tab 55 tearing it out, which will result in the destruction of the bottom of the box, thereby preventing its reuse as such.

In all forms of the invention, the layers of the bottom, i.e., the thicknesses of the cup bottom and the flaps of the box bottom, are adhesively secured together in as sembled condition, except where indicated otherwise and further except that the adhesive is preferably omitted on the meeting faces thereof where the indicia receiving space is provided.

Instead of providing a legend on each container, as indicated above, the space thereof being valuable for advertising purposes, a large sign could be erected in a prominent place Where it could easily be seen by all approaching to make a purchase. The technique of this inducement could be varied in many ways to suit individual preferences without departing fromthe spirit of this invention.

In the forms of the invention shown in FIGURE 7, it will be noted that the box has inside, end flaps as at 45, 46. It will be observed that when in the closed position, the free ends of these flaps do not meet, but that there is a substantial space between them. The ripping strip 43 may be made to cover as much of this space as desired, so that when the strip 43 is ripped out of the box, pulling with it the flap 44, the opening caused by removal of the strip will be exposed to view.

It will be understood that changes in the design and construction or arrangement of the parts of the several modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A container of the type intended to be destroyed against reuse as such after a single use thereof, including means inducing the holder thereof to destroy same, comprising a body having a continuous side wall and a bottom therefor, said bottom comprising a plurality of thicknesses of material with space between them for the reception of reward indicating indicia, one of said thickness comprising a skirted disc seated within the lower portion of said container with the skirt portion of said disc in frictional contact with the wall of said container, the other of said thicknesses comprising a disc seated against the lower wall of said first thickness within the confines of said skirt, and a tab extending outwardly of said skirt portion, the lower edge of said container being folded around the edge of said skirt portion and enclosing a portion of said tab Within said fold, the folded portion of said container being crimped against said skirt and a portion of said tab, a further portion of said tab projecting outwardly of said crimped portion, whereby it may be gripped to pull said bottom out of said container, said bottom thicknesses being separable to disclose said space. 2. A container of the type intended to be destroyed against reuse as such after a single use, including means inducing the holder thereof to destroy same, comprising a body having a continuous side wall and a bottom therefor, means forming a shoulder on the inner face of said side wall adjacent the lower edge thereof, said bottom comprising a plurality of thicknesses adhesively secured together over a portion of their surfaces, said bottom having a space on a portion of one of said non-secured surfaces for the reception of reward indicating indicia, the upper thickness of said bottom comprising a disc having its marginal edge supported on said shoulder, the lower thickness of said bottom comprising a disc having a downwardly extending skirt, said skirt being frictionally supported against the lower portion of said side wall below said shoulder, said skirt having a tab extending therefrom and outwardly of said container, whereby the tab may be gripped to rupture the bottom out of said side wall, said upper disc being partially separated from said lower disc by said shoulder during the rupturing operation.

3. A cup comprising a continuous side wall having a bottom, a legend on said wall to induce the holder to remove said bottom, said side wall having its lower edge doubled back and crimped upon itself for a portion of its length, said bottom comprising a plurality of superposed layers of material, the lower of said layers having a downwardly extending skirt portion frictionally supported against said crimped portion, a pocket between said layers reward indicating indicia disposed in said pocket between the layers of said bottom, said lower layer having a tab extending outwardly of said cup, whereby it may be gripped and pulled to remove said bottom from said side wall, whereby said bottom layers may be separated to expose said indicia space.

4. A cup comprising a continuous side wall having a bottom, a legend on said wall to induce the holder to remove said bottom, said wall having its lower edge doubled back and crimped upon itself to provide an annular shoulder internally of the cup, said bottom comprising a plurality of superposed layers of material adhesively secured together over a portion of their meeting faces, said layers having a pocket between them to receive reward indicating indicia therein, the lower of said layers having a downwardly extending skirt portion frictionally supported against said crimped portion, the upper layer comprising a disk member having its marginal edges supported on said annular shoulder, said skirt portion of said bottom member having a tab projecting therefrom outwardly of said cup, whereby said tab may be gripped and pulled to remove said bottom from said side wall, said upper bottom member being partially separated from said lower member by said shoulder during the pulling operation, said layers being separable to disclose said pocket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 740,834 10/ 1903 Fantone 40-324 2,020,381 11/1935 Labowitz et al. 2,041,170 5/1936 Dorsey, 2,116,411 1/1938 Philipson. 2,335,198 11/1943 Smith 2291.5 2,723,643 11/1955 Weiss 2291.5 X 2,740,575 4/1956 Fontaine 229--1.5 X 2,772,044 11/ 1956 Layne 229-51 2,800,266 7/ 1957 Kelly 229-51 X 2,962,201 11/1960 Brillis et a1. 2291.5 3,065,896 11/1962 Grapp 229--51 3,135,451 6/1964 Bauder et a1. 22951 X 3,141,598 7/1964 Rasmussen et a1 22951 3,144,971 8/ 1964 Wommelsdorf 2291.5

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER OF THE TYPE INTENDED TO BE DESTROYED AGAINST REUSE AS SUCH AFTER A SINGLE USE THEREOF, INCLUDING MEANS INDUCING THE HOLDER THEREOF TO DESTROY SAME, COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A CONTINUOUS SIDE WALL AND A BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID BOTTOM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF THICKNESSES OF MATERIAL WITH SPACE BETWEEN THEM FOR THE RECEPTION OF REWARD INDICATING INDICIA, ONE OF SAID THICKNESS COMPRISING A SKIRTED DISC SEATED WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CONTAINER WITH THE SKIRT PORTION OF SAID DISC IN FRICTIONAL CONTACT WITH THE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER, THE OTHER OF SAID THICKNESSES COMPRISING A DISC SEATED AGAINST THE LOWER WALL OF SAID FIRST THICKNESS WITHIN THE CONFINES 